all over the place
283
4.8
- idiom
- Informal
:
por todas partes
- With his papers scattered and his plans unorganized, he felt all over the place during the meeting.
But the human race has been all over the place all the time.
- But the human race has been all over the place all the time.
- My life work balance is all over the place all the time.
- I love how all over the place it's like kitchen sink design.
- And so our moods are all over the place during that time.
- He seems kind of all over the place, but this thing is spot on.
- You know, the Gears of War people explode all over the place when you shoot someone shotgun.
- It just feels so all over the place, right?
- We're come and sweaty with Bo and sand all over the place straight from the beach.
- I've been reading and studying and lecturing all over the place for the last year or two.
Examples
-
After the unexpected changes in her life, her thoughts were all over the place, making it hard to focus.
-
- Easier said than done, my head is all over the place.
-
But the human race has been all over the place all the time.
-
My life work balance is all over the place all the time.
-
I feel a little all over the place, but it was fun.
-
These boys are all over the place.
-
I'm all over the place at the moment.
-
Discussions can wander all over the place unless you are careful to keep them focused.
Academic text (2006) -
And so our moods are all over the place during that time.
-
Like right now, my eleven-year-old and my relationship is all over the place.
Academic text (2006)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To go to many different places
∞
1.0
In every part of a place
41
4.1
Unable to think clearly or know where you are
18
1.0
Messy and not in order, with things mixed up
13
7.5
Very mixed and not focused or organized
1
7.5
Mixed up and in a messy, confused state
1
9.3
In many different directions and places
1
3.6
Not in order and difficult to understand or use
1
4.0
In a way that shows you are not sure or do not understand
1
7.4
Very mixed across many parts of something
In a confused and disorganized state
With much hurry and disorder
In a confused, hurried way with no order
Spread out across a wide area
Spread out across an area or shared among many people
Everywhere in a hurried, messy way like people searching quickly
Antonyms
How Organized
- US
38
3.1
- Informal
283
4.8
1
3.5
233
1.0
- US
19
2.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines 'all' + 'over' + 'place' to convey a spatial meaning of items being everywhere or scattered, which a B1 learner who knows the words can readily derive. However, the common figurative extension meaning 'disorganized' or 'in a state of confusion' is a metaphorical shift from the spatial sense and not fully predictable from the parts, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
All over the place comes from the simple picture of objects or papers scattered all around a room, so they are really all, over, the place. That's why we use it for thoughts, people, or things that are 'confused' or 'scattered'.